(a) (1) Application for an emergency medical service provider certificate shall be made to the board. The board shall not grant an emergency medical service provider certificate unless the applicant meets the following requirements:

(A) (i) Has successfully completed coursework required by the rules and regulations adopted by the board;

(ii) has successfully completed coursework in another jurisdiction that is substantially equivalent to that required by the rules and regulations adopted by the board; or

(iii) has provided evidence that such applicant holds a current and active certification with the national registry of emergency medical technicians, completed emergency medical technician training as a member of the army, navy, marine corps, air force, air or army national guard, coast guard or any branch of the military reserves of the United States that is substantially equivalent to that required by the rules and regulations adopted by the board, and such applicant separated from such military service with an honorable discharge;

(B) (i) has passed the examination required by the rules and regulations adopted by the board; or

(ii) has passed the certification or licensing examination in another jurisdiction that has been approved by the board; and

(C) has paid an application fee required by the rules and regulations adopted by the board.

(2) The board may grant an emergency medical service provider certificate to any applicant who meets the requirements under subsection (a)(1)(A)(iii) but was separated from such military service with a general discharge under honorable conditions.

(b) (1) The emergency medical services board may require an original applicant for certification as an emergency medical services provider to be fingerprinted and submit to a state and national criminal history record check. The fingerprints shall be used to identify the applicant and to determine whether the applicant has a record of criminal history in this state or another jurisdiction. The emergency medical services board is authorized to submit the fingerprints to the Kansas bureau of investigation and the federal bureau of investigation for a state and national criminal history record check. The emergency medical services board may use the information obtained from fingerprinting and the applicant’s criminal history for purposes of verifying the identification of the applicant and making the official determination of the qualifications and fitness of the applicant to be issued or to maintain a certificate.

(2) Local and state law enforcement officers and agencies shall assist the emergency medical services board in taking the fingerprints of applicants for license, registration, permit or certificate. The Kansas bureau of investigation shall release all records of adult convictions, nonconvictions or adjudications in this state and any other state or country to the emergency medical services board.

(3) The emergency medical services board may fix and collect a fee as may be required by the board in an amount equal to the cost of fingerprinting and the criminal history record check. The emergency medical services board shall remit all moneys received from the fees established by this section to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of the emergency medical services criminal history and fingerprinting fund.

(4) There is hereby created in the state treasury the emergency medical services criminal history and fingerprinting fund. All moneys credited to the fund shall be used to pay the Kansas bureau of investigation for the processing of fingerprints and criminal history record checks for the emergency medical services board. The fund shall be administered by the emergency medical services board. All expenditures from the fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the chairperson of the emergency medical services board or the chairperson’s designee.

(c) The board shall not grant an initial advanced emergency medical technician certificate or paramedic certificate as a result of successful course completion in the state of Kansas, unless the applicant for such an initial certificate is certified as an emergency medical technician.

(d) An emergency medical service provider certificate shall expire on the date prescribed by the board. An emergency medical service provider certificate may be renewed for a period of two years upon payment of a fee as prescribed by rule and regulation of the board and upon presentation of satisfactory proof that the emergency medical service provider has successfully completed continuing education as prescribed by the board.

(e) All fees received pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be remitted to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of the emergency medical services operating fund established by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 65-6151, and amendments thereto.

(f) If a person who was previously certified as an emergency medical service provider applies for an emergency medical service provider’s certificate after the certificate’s expiration, the board may grant a certificate without the person completing an initial course of instruction or passing a certification examination if the person has completed education requirements and has paid a fee as specified in rules and regulations adopted by the board.

(g) The board shall adopt, through rules and regulations, a formal list of graduated sanctions for violations of article 61 of chapter 65 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, that shall specify the number and severity of violations for the imposition of each level of sanction.